By: Nevena Šarenac
The program “Coffee with …” of Sarajevo Film Festival hosted today at the festival square in front of the National Theatre the director and the scenarist of the film “Krugovi” (Circles) Srđan Golubović and Melina Pota Koljević while the team of actors was absent due to last night’s open-air cinema screening in Metalac and exhaustive night.
During the one-hour meetings with journalists, Srđan Golubović and Melina Pota Koljević talked about the creation of the film, the question that opens, about the experience and work with the actors, as well as many aspects of the film.
The film “Krugovi” (Circles) was inspired by Srđan Aleksić, a hero from Trebinje, who in his hometown was killed because he was trying to rescue his friend Alen Glavović.
In the main roles appear Alexander Berček, Leon Lučev, Nebojsa Glogovac, Hristina Popović, Nikola Rakočević, Vuk Kostić and Boris Isaković.
Speaking about the reasons why he decided that the heroic act of Srđan Aleksić from Trebinje to bring to the big screen, Golubović said that the idea originated in 2007 at the festival in Wiesbaden.
“At that time, the story of Srđan Aleksić became relevant in the Serbian media. We did not want to do a war movie, but a film about the heroic act and how it affects us and changes our lives. We thought that in that terrible war was something human as well. The story of Srđan gave us the energy and the knowledge that even in hard times men can be men “, said Golubović.
He pointed out that for the first time in his career he did a film, which is based on a true story.
Speaking about the problems during the creation of the film, Golubović said that “the hardest part was to separate from such stories and to explain to myself that the film we are making is appropriate as much as the story of Srđan Aleksić”.
“It’s very difficult because there is a great responsibility to the people who still live and are part of the real story”, said Golubović.
Sarajevo premiere was attended by the father of Srđan Aleksić, Rade, whose sentence that was said in an earlier documentary about Srđan was crucial for the realization of film “Circles” and around which, as Golubović said, was formed the complete structure of the film.
“If the death of my son will change at least one person then to me his death would not be so terrible” Srđan’s father was quoted by Golubović.
When asked about the political connotation of the film, Golubović has clearly stated that all men are political beings, but the most important is that Srđan did not saved Bosniaks, but the man.
He noted that the “Circles” is a film that deals with human relationships and human aspects.
“We are all individually great people, but the society is worse than us. The politics deforms our reality and our lives. The arts have the privilege to be able to influence on people and to make them better”, said Golubović.
The opinion of the scenarist Melina Pota Koljević is that the Srđan’s act holds the aspect of an ancient tragedy, and that he deserves a second life, which he got due to film and the audience.
The process of film making lasted two and a half years, and started on the story, how Aleksić rescued Alen Glavović, Bosniak, in Trebinje in 1993 and today Alen is alive and how his perspective is.
“We thought about this man who is very good, every year he visits Srđan’s grave and helps Srđan’s father. Therefore, we did not want to do the reconstruction of the event, but we were inspired by great people such as Glavović, Aleksić and his father” stated the scenarist Melina Pota Koljević.
